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Disabled combat vets can get $500, no strings

The Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes, in conjunction with the American Legion, is giving gifts of $500 each to 1,000 disabled veterans who served in the Iraq or Afghanistan wars.

The Coalition presented a check for $500,000 to the American Legion, and the entire amount will be awarded to veterans, officials said. The Legion will assume all administrative costs.

There are no strings attached, and the money does not have to be used for any specific purpose, said American Legion spokeswoman Ramona Joyce. There is no “financial need” requirement — the only requirements are that veterans served in the Iraq or Afghanistan wars, and have a disability rated at 30 percent or more.

The money will be given on a first-come, first-served basis.

Grants will be available through May, or until the money runs out. “We’d love to go through it before the holidays so they can have extra spending money for presents or maybe for a plane ticket home,” Joyce said.

“These grants are just a small token of appreciation for the sacrifices made by so many of America’s men and women in uniform,” said Thomas Palma, general manager of the Coalition, in an announcement about the gifts. “Our Coalition was able to raise a lot of money from caring people but we do not have the distribution network of the American Legion. The Legion is a well-respected organization with a presence in communities across America.”

The Legion also distributed checks for the Coalition in 2005.

To apply for a grant, veterans should contact their state’s headquarters office. Contact information can be found in the American Legion's state headquarters directory. If further assistance is needed, Joyce said, veterans can call her at (202) 263-2982 or John Raughter at (317) 630-1253.